Electric waffle iron



Patented Nov. 3, 1942 UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE v,2,300,644 ELECTRICWAFFLE IRON Clarence A. Boyd, St. Paul, Minn. ApplicationV August 4,1940', Serial` No. 351,339

5 Claims. A 1 (VC1. 53-10) My invention relates to electric wale ironsand the object is to provide aV simple inexpensive and highly eicientdevice of this kindv which enables an operator to bake superposedarticles of food.

While my invention relates to wallie` irons it superposed batches ofbatter from below and above.

In some of its general objects my invention aims-to provide a tripleaction hinge for a duplex baking appliance presenting the followingadvantageous features applicable to hinges and appliances comprisingthree superposed and relatively movable sections.

Firstly, a three action hinge wherein the top section may be separatelyerected for the removal of the bake or the placement of the batterwithin the upper bakingunit.

Secondly, a three action hinge wherein the top section may be separatelyerected while the locking element within the hinge permanently securesthe two lower sections in locked position.

Thirdly, a three action hinge wherein the top` two sections may beunitedly erected and permanently locked so that these erected sectionscan open while in a perpendicular position.

Fourthly, a. three action hinge wherein the several sections arepermitted to travel away from each other While in the superposed stateof baking allowing for the expansion of the bake to raise section bysection in their stacked position.

In referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an electric waie iron equippedwith this new hinge arrangement.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the hinge removed from the waie iron.

Figure 3 is a cross section of the hinge taken on the line 3 3 of Figure2.

Figure 4 is a top View of the hinge.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the locking rollers attached to boththe upper and lower members of the triple action hinge, illustrating thetop locking rollers X.

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 in which the upperhinge portion is swung into a vertical position locking the lower twosections into an`unopenable state.

Figure 7 is a sectional view similar to- Figure 3 in which the upper andcentral hinge portions are swung into a vertical position locking thelower section and at the same time locking.y the Aupper to the cent-ralhinge section into anunopenable state. v n

In referring to the drawing A represents a waie iron which is providedwith three sections B, C, and D, the D section being provided with abase EV which is further provided with side carrying handles H. To oneside of the section B there is provided a section lifting handle G whilethe center unit C is provided with its handle I. To the opposite sideof'- the section lifti-ng handles G and I there is. provided the hingeK.

The hinge K is provided with a central memberA I, a top hinge member 2and a base hinge member 3. The central hinge member I'V isprovided withtop member locking pin II permitting the member 2 to travel upwardsguided by an elongated slotV 5-while the bottom hinge member 3 isrockingly securedv to the hinge member I through theA rocking pin 6'permitting the member I to travel upwards guided by theV elongatedslot 1. The central hinge member I is further provided to its sides witha pair of lock pins 8 whose functions will be more fully describedlater.

The waflle iron is of the usual superposed type. Each section has aheating element for the baking of the batter. The expansion of thebatter during the baking process will cause the section C to move awayfrom the section D breaking along the line S; while the section D willmove away from the section C along the line I0. The expansion due to thebaking of the batter in the lower oven will raise the section C and itshinge section I and likewise raise the section of the iron B and itshinge section 2 to the position illustrated in Figure 3.

The central hinge member I is further provided with a series of outsidetop closure lip II and bottom closure lip I2 contacting the archedsurfaces of the hinge members 2 and 3' respectively and thereby closingthe assembly as a sealed hinge.

Should it be desired to place a batch of batter in the baking sectionabove C and below the top section B in the oven along the line I0, andassuming that the waie iron was in closed position as shown in Figure 1,the lifting of the iron section B will actuate its joined hinged section2 and rotate the same upon the pin 4 so that the lip I3 of the sides I6of the hinge member 2 would contact the periphery of the positionlocking pin 8 and thereby hold the iron section B in an opened position.The hinge section 2 swinging about its rocking pin 4 will cause the 2outer surface I8 of the arched wall of the upper hinge section tocontact the roller I1. The roller II is secured through roller pins I9to the side walls 20 of the hinge section 3. Upon closing the waiileiron section B upon the wallie iron section C and the baking proceeding,the hinge part 2 would slowly rise with the iron section B and becauseof the expansion of the baking of the batter would move the units into aposition as illustrated in Figure 3.

Now, should it be desired, that during the baking of the wale in theupper compartment, to bake a waiile in the lower compartment; thecentral iron section C would be lifted by the handle I which ofnecessity would rotate the joined hinge section I about the pin 6. Thiswould lock the hinge section 2 and the hinge unit I intoa rigid lockedposition. Ihe locking being accomplished by the peripheral edge I3traveling along the outer edge I4 of member- 3 and permitting the rollerI5 secured by the locking member I6 to form a vrolling contact upon theouter face I4. As will be noted, the surface of the outer face I4 of thehinge section 3 is formed in a cycloidal curve to such a degree that asthe roller I6 travels along thesurface I4, the members B and C becomemore closely locked or squeezed at their handle G and Ivends.

Upon the closure of the several wallie iron sections, and having batterplaced atop the section D; and as the bakingr proceeds; and as the bakeexpands; it tends to raise the sections B and its superposed section Caway from the sections D as best illustrated in the hinge section shownin Figure 3. As will be noted in the drawing, the roller I5'is of atriile greater diameter than the roller locking means I6.

41. A wafiie iron comprising three superposed mold sections, theintermediate section having upper and lower mold surfaces, hinge meansconnecting the top and middle section and connecting the middle andlower sections arranged to limit upward swinging movement of the uppersection to an angle of about degrees with respect to the lower andmiddle sections and hinge contained locking means to hold the top andmiddle sections together when both top and middle sections are swungupward away from the bottom section.

2. A waIiIe iron comprising" three superposed mold sections, hinge meansconnecting said sections, lock means actuated through the swinging ofthe upper section to hold the middle section locked to the lower sectionduring the time the upper section is held swung away from the middle Isection.

3. A waffle iron comprising a plurality of locking means actuatedthrough the swinging of the upper to hold the next two lower sectionslocked together and locking means actuated through a jointswinging ofthe upper two sections to hold said sections locked together.

` 4.'A baking appliance of the class described comprising threesuperposed baking sections, hingei means connecting the differentsections and interconnecting lock means operative through swingingmovement of the upper section to hold the -center section locked to thebottom section when the upper section is swung upwardly from the centersection.

5. A waffle iron as described comprising three superposed hingedlyconnected sections, hinge associated means limiting swinging movement ofthe upper section to a predetermined angle with reference to the basesection, hinge associated means operative to hold the two top sectionslocked together when swung to the predetermined angle with reference tothe base section.

: f CLARENCE A. BOYD.

